Selective disabling of communication services provided by a wireless network

ABSTRACT

A network manager of a wireless mesh network is configured to selectively enable or disable communication services provided between devices over the network. The selective enabling or disabling of services may be based on the monitoring and enforcement of license terms set according to license information embedded within the wireless network node(s) or access point(s) of the network. In operation, the network manager retrieves the license information from the node(s) and/or access point(s) of the network, and establishes license terms based on the retrieved license information. In turn, the network manager selectively enables or disables network services, such as by throttling communications relayed between the user application and the nodes, or between nodes, if the license terms are not respected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED. APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/682,054, filed Apr. 8, 2015, which claims the benefit of priority ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 61/977,486, filed Apr. 9, 2014, thedisclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the managing of wirelesscommunication services provided by a network.

BACKGROUND

Wireless mesh networks provide a high level of flexibility in networkdesign and in the resulting range of applications that the networks canbe used for. In the networks, nodes automatically detect and establishcommunications with neighboring nodes to form the wireless mesh. Networkaccess points (APs) serve as gateways between the wireless mesh networkand elements external to the mesh network. A network manager cancoordinate the operation of the wireless mesh network, such as tocoordinate the timing of the nodes.

In one example, nodes of a wireless mesh network each include a sensorand are operative to relay sensor data measurement through the network.In the example, the network access point provides an interface betweenthe wireless mesh network and an external network (e.g., a local areanetwork (LAN)), and enables a computer connected to the external networkto receive the sensor data measurement from all of the wireless meshnetwork nodes.

Designers and manufacturers of wireless mesh network equipment havedeveloped advanced wireless network nodes, access points, and networkmanagers that are capable of providing a broad range of networkservices. For example, the nodes, access points, and network managersmay be capable of operating with very large networks including numerousnodes, of providing high network data throughput, of enabling upstreamand downstream communications through the network, etc. In order tomonetize the design and development costs associated with the networks,the designers and manufacturers sell licenses providing selective accessto the advanced features of the networking equipment. The licensesimpose limits on the services provided by the nodes, access points, andnetwork managers such that the nodes, access points, and networkmanagers can only be used for those selected features that the licensesauthorize.

This disclosure details improved equipment and methods for monitoringand enforcing license terms in wireless mesh networks.

SUMMARY

The teachings herein alleviate one or more of the above noted problemsby providing enhanced equipment and methods for monitoring andenforcement of license terms

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a network managerdevice is provided for enabling and disabling wireless communicationservices provided over a wireless network based on license informationembedded in other devices connected to the wireless network. The networkmanager includes a communication interface configured for communicationwith a plurality of network node devices forming at least a portion ofthe wireless network, one or more processors, and a non-transitorymemory storage medium. The non-transitory memory storage medium includesinstructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the one or more processors to manage operations of thewireless network, including by performing functions to receive, from afirst network node device of the plurality of network node devices,license information embedded in the first network node device, and toselectively disable, in response to receiving the license informationfrom the first network node device, communication services providedbetween two or more of the plurality of network node devices over thewireless network based on the received license information.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method is usedfor enabling or disabling wireless communication services provided overa wireless network based on license information embedded in otherdevices connected to the wireless network. The method includesfacilitating, by a network manager device, communications between aplurality of network node devices in the wireless network, andreceiving, at the network manager device, from a first network nodedevice of the plurality of network node devices, license informationembedded in the first network node device. The network further includesselectively disabling, by the network manager device in response toreceiving the license information from the first network node device,communication services provided between two or more of the plurality ofnetwork node devices over the wireless network based on the receivedlicense information.

In accordance with a further aspect of the disclosure, a method is usedfor managing network communication services using license informationfor a network comprising a plurality of network node devices. The methodincludes receiving, by a network manager device configured forcommunication with the plurality of network node devices, from a firstnetwork node device in communication with the plurality of network nodedevices of the network, a network joining message including licenseinformation embedded in the first network node device, and relaying, viathe network manager device in response to receiving the network joiningmessage, communications between the first network node device and a userapplication external to the network. The network manager device isconfigured to selectively disable the relaying of communications betweenthe first network node device and the user application external to thenetwork based on a number of network node devices designated by thereceived license information as managed by the network manager device.

Additional advantages and novel features will be set forth in part inthe description which follows, and in part will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon examination of the following and theaccompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation ofthe examples. The advantages of the present teachings may be realizedand attained by practice or use of various aspects of the methodologies,instrumentalities and combinations set forth in the detailed examplesdiscussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord withthe present teachings, by way of example only, not by way of limitation.In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similarelements.

FIG. 1 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of asystem including a network that provides hardware-based licensingfunctionalities.

FIG. 2 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of awireless node such as may be used in the network system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of anaccess point (AP) such as may be used in the network system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of anetwork manager such as may be used in the network system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a high-level flow diagram showing steps of a method formonitoring and enforcement of authorization and licensing terms andconditions in a wireless networks, such as the wireless network of thenetwork system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are setforth by way of examples in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe relevant teachings. However, it should be apparent to those skilledin the art that the present teachings may be practiced without suchdetails. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components,and/or circuitry have been described at a relatively high-level, withoutdetail, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the presentteachings.

The various systems and methods disclosed herein relate to themonitoring and enforcement of license terms in wireless mesh networks.

Wireless networks include pluralities of nodes, access points (APO, andother wireless network devices that are distributed in space andcommunicate wirelessly with each other. A network manager coordinatesthe operation of the wireless network devices to efficiently communicatewith each other, and relays data and other information between thenetwork and outside devices. The operation of the network and itsdevices may be subject to license terms, such as terms that limit thenumber of nodes/devices in the network, the speed and/or amount of datacommunicated to/from/in the network, or the like. More generally, thelicense terms can impose limits on the types of services provided by thenetwork and the performance of network components.

In general, a customer obtains a license from a reseller, amanufacturer, a factory or the like. The license may take the form of alicense code, and the customer inputs the license code to the networkmanager prior to starting the network. The network manager is therebyauthorized for operation of a network according to the license termsassociated with the license code input by the customer. This licensingscheme may require a certain level of advance planning since the networksize, network speed, and/or other network performance parameters imposedby the license are fixed at network boot time based on the license codeprovided by the customer. Additionally, the licensing scheme may requirethat the customer have a high level of software-related competency inorder to correctly input the license code information and ensure thatthe network manager successfully obtains the related licenseauthorizations. Further, to ensure that a same license code is notconcurrently used in multiple different networks, advanced verificationmethods may be needed. Advantageously, the licensing scheme enables amanufacturer to monetize network devices by charging various premiumsfor augmenting the network manager beyond the default capabilitiesthrough a software license that the user sets after obtaining it fromthe factory.

To provide seamless license verification and greater flexibility inexpanding or changing license terms during operation of the network, thelicense information can be embedded in network nodes, network APs, orother physical devices of the network (generally referenced as wirelessnetwork devices). In this regard, the license can be a hardware-basedlicense, whereby the license is linked to, associated with, andpermanently stored in a physical/hardware network element that can joinor leave the network. The license information can then be automaticallyprovided by the nodes, APs, or other network devices to the networkmanager, for example at the time the nodes, APs, or other devices jointhe network. The network manager may further automatically detect if anynode, AP, or other device leaves the network, and revise the terms ofthe license under which the network manager operates to reflect thedeparted node, AP, or other device. The initial provision and updatingof the license information can be performed seamlessly and in real-timeduring operation of the network, and may thereby enable the licenseterms to be changed dynamically at any time as devices join or leave thewireless network.

The use of the hardware-based license is advantageous for a number ofreasons. For example, it is straightforward to implement and enforcefrom the manufacturers' perspective. It is straightforward to use fromthe customer perspective and allows for great flexibility whenreconfiguring or redistributing hardware between different networks. Itdecouples network functionality from any particular manager (notably asit relates to functions controlled/limited under the license terms),enabling the license information to be readily carried over to a newmanager in case an existing manager has to be replaced (e.g., formaintenance reasons). It increases the ability for customers toprovision and expand networks on an as needed basis. Additionally,licenses can be monetized through individual part numbers representativeof the device-carrying licenses. Further, as detailed below, licensescan be verified and validated without requiring a central licensemanager, and without the risk of a same license being used concurrentlyin multiple networks.

FIG. 1 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of asystem 100 including a mesh network that provides hardware-basedlicensing functionalities.

As shown in the figure, a mesh network includes a plurality of networknodes 101 (illustratively shown as circles) that communicate with eachother across wireless network communication links (illustratively shownas dashed lines). The network nodes also communicate wirelessly with oneor more network access points (APs) 103. The APs 103 serve as physicalgateways between the mesh network and the outside of the mesh network.For example, any data or information being communicated from the meshnetwork to the outside is routed through an AP 103; conversely, any dataor information being communicated from the outside to the mesh networkis also routed through an AP 103. An AP can thus receive wirelesspackets from the nodes and send the packets over the wired network tothe network manager, and receive packets over the wired network andtransmit the packets wirelessly over the wireless network to the nodes.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the APs 103 are shown ascommunicating wirelessly to one or more of the network nodes of the meshnetwork, and communicating via wires (illustratively shown as fulllines) with the outside. In other embodiments, the mesh network may be awired network, and/or the APs 103 may communicate over wireless linkswith the outside.

In addition to the nodes 101 and AP(s) 103, the mesh network includes anetwork manager 105 communicatively connected to one or more AP(s) 103(e.g., though a wired link). The centralized network manager 105 isresponsible for controlling the mesh network and for determining whichdevices can join the network. Specifically, the network manager 105provides oversight of the mesh network and controls operation of thenetwork by for example joining nodes to the network, setting networktiming, and/or setting a network communication schedule. The networkmanager 105 further functions as an operational gateway or interfacebetween the mesh network and the outside. In this regard, allcommunication between the mesh network and the outside is managed by thenetwork manager 105: the network manager 105 may thus provide aninterface through which external applications 107 can receive networkdata and information from the network, and through which the externalapplications 107 can send data, information, or commands to the wirelessnetwork.

The network manager 105 can further perform authentication, licensing,and other functions. For such purposes, the network manager 105 canoptionally be communicatively connected to an authentication server 111,a license server 113, and/or various other servers or entities. In FIG.1, the network manager 105 is shown as being directly physicallyconnected to the application 107 and the APs 103 through wired networklinks, and indirectly connected to the servers 111, 113, through thenetwork 109. More generally, however, the network manager 105 maycommunicate with the servers 111, 113, with the AP(s) 103, and/or withthe application(s) 107 through one or more networks 109 (e.g., a localor wide area network (LAN/WAN), an Ethernet network, a Wi-Fi network, amobile communication network, the Internet, or the like). Alternatively,the network manager 105 may be co-located (e.g., in a same device) withan AP 103 or an application 107, and execute on the same processor as ora distinct processor from the AP 103 or application 107. The networkmanager 105 may also communicate with APs 103 or applications 107through one or more network(s) 109, and/or be directly communicativelyconnected to the servers 111, 113. For example, in some embodiments,additional wireless links (such as WiFi, cell phone, or microwave links)may be used to connect APs 103 to each other or to the network manager105.

In one example, the mesh network is a wireless sensor network thatenables wireless collection of application data from multiple nodesserving as sensing points. The network establishes a mesh of linksbetween the nodes, and data is communicated across multi-hop linksbetween the nodes 101 and the AP(s) 103. Data from distant nodes 101 iscollected automatically by the mesh by having each node 101 relay datapackets received from other nodes, such that the packets gradually movea little bit closer to their intended destination (e.g., an AP 103 or aparticular other node 101).

Each transmission and reception of a data packet directly from one nodeto a neighbor node or neighbor AP is called a hop, and in general datapackets will take different multi-hop routes through the mesh to theirdestination (e.g., an AP 103 or another node 101). The particularmulti-hop route followed by any packet may depend on path stability ofpaths along the route and on network communication schedules (e.g.,schedules defining when each node in the network can send or can receivepackets across the network). By a similar process, application orcontrol data can be sent out in the opposite direction from an AP 103 toany particular node 101 of the mesh network.

FIG. 2 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of anode 101 used in the network system 100 of FIG. L The node 101 includesa processor 203 (e.g., a microprocessor) and a memory 205 that provideprocessing capabilities. The memory 205 stores application programs andinstructions for controlling operation of the node 101, and theprocessor 203 is configured to execute the application programs andinstructions stored in the memory 205. A power source 211, such as abattery, transformer, solar cell(s), dynamo, or the like, provideselectric power for powering the operation of the node 101.

Additionally, the node 101 can include a sensor 209 producing sensing ormeasurement data that is provided to the processor 203 and/or stored inmemory 205. The node 101 can additionally or alternatively include anactuator (e.g., a motor, valve, or the like) or other operational output(e.g., a display) that is controlled by the processor 203. The node 101further includes a transceiver 201 that enables communication across thenetwork (e.g., a wireless mesh-network) with other nodes 101 or APs 103.As shown in FIG. 2, the transceiver 201 is a wireless transceiver 201connected to an antenna and configured for wireless communication; inother embodiments, the transceiver 201 may be a wired transceiver. Thevarious components of the node 101 are communicatively connected to eachother (e.g., via a bus or other communication lines and are electricallyconnected to the power source 211 to receive operating power.

As described in further detail below, the node 101 can optionallyinclude an embedded node-based license 207. The node-based license 207generally is a data string that encodes or is associated with aparticular set of license terms and conditions, and that enables a userof the node to use the node and to use any network joined by the nodesubject to the associated license terms and conditions encoded by thelicense 207. The node-based license 207 can thus include licenseinformation that is stored in a nonvolatile memory, such as a one-timeprogrammable memory or a flash memory, of the node 101. The licenseinformation is generally stored or written into the nonvolatile memoryat the factory during production of the node, and is not directlyaccessible to or editable by the end-user.

Further functions relating to the node-based license 207 are describedin further detail below.

FIG. 3 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of anAP 103 used in the network system 100 of FIG. 1. The AP 103 includescomponents substantially similar to those of the node 101, including amesh-network transceiver 301, a processor 305 (e.g., a microprocessor),a memory 307, a sensor 311, and a power source 313. Such components ofthe AP 103 are substantially similar to corresponding components of thenode 101, and reference can be made to the description of the node 101for detailed information on the components and their function. The AP103 optionally includes a sensor 311, actuator, or other operationaloutput that is controlled by the processor 305, similarly to the node101.

Additionally, the AP 103 can include dual transceivers: a firsttransceiver 301 (e.g., a mesh-network transceiver) configured forcommunication with nodes 101 of the network, and a second transceiver303 (e.g., a WAN transceiver) configured for communication outside ofthe mesh-network such as communications with the network manager 105 orapplication(s) 107 (e.g., via the network manager 105). In our example,the first transceiver 301 may be a wireless transceiver, while thesecond transceiver 303 may be a transceiver configured for wiredcommunications (e.g., a transceiver compatible with Ethernet standards)directly with the network manager 105 or indirectly via one or morenetwork(s) 109. While two transceivers are shown in FIG. 3, someembodiments may include a single transceiver performing bothcommunications functions, while in other embodiments communications withthe network manager 105 may be via a direct wired link.

The AP 103 can optionally include an embedded AP-based license 309. TheAP-based license 309 may be similar to the node-based license 207described above and used in a similar manner. The AP-based license 309generally is a data string that is associated with a particular set oflicense terms and conditions, and that enables a user of the AP 103 touse the AP and to use any network joined by the AP subject to thoseassociated license terms and conditions. The AP-based license 309 canthus include license information that is stored in a nonvolatile memory,such as a one-time programmable memory or a flash memory, of the AP 103.The license information is generally stored or written into thenonvolatile memory at the factory during production of the AP, and isnot accessible to or editable by the end-user.

In some examples, each node, AP, or other network device operates in twomodes. In a low-power “sleep” mode, the device consumes a minimal amountof power but has limited functionality. In an “awake” mode, the devicehas full functionality but consumes larger amounts of power. Each devicemay only be “awake” for limited periods of time, so as to keep devicepower consumption as low as possible. The device may be awake onlyduring time periods identified in the network communication scheduleduring which the device is scheduled to send or receive data, and duringtime periods during which the device is scheduled to perform sensormeasurements or perform other functions.

FIG. 4 shows a high-level functional block diagram of an example of anetwork manager 105 used in the network system 100 of FIG. 1. Thenetwork manager 105 controls operations of the mesh network, and servesas an interface between the network and the outside (e.g., as aninterface between the network and external application(s) 107).Specifically, all communications between the mesh network and externalapplications 107 may flow through the network manager 105, or otherwisebe controlled by the network manager 105.

The network manager 105 is shown in FIG. 1 as being a separate entityfrom the AP 103, and as being physically separate from any AP 103. Insuch embodiments, the network manager 105 and AP(s) 103 are separateentities and may be communicatively connected via a communication cable(as shown), one or more wired or wireless network(s), and/or one or morewireless communication links. In other embodiments, the network manager105 may be co-located with one AP 103, for example within a same devicecasing. In such embodiments, the network manager 105 and AP 103 may havedistinct processors, may be mounted on distinct circuit boards, and maybe communicatively connected by wire traces between the circuit boards.In further embodiments, the network manager 105 may execute on a sameprocessor as an AP 103.

The network manager 105 includes a processor 403 (e.g., amicroprocessor) and a memory 405 that provide processing capabilities.The memory 405 stores application programs and instructions forcontrolling operation of the network manager 105, and the processor 403is configured to execute the application programs and instructionsstored in the memory 405 and control operation of the manager 105.

Additionally, the network manager 105 includes a communication interfacesuch as a transceiver 401 for communication via network(s) 109. While asingle transceiver 401 is shown in FIG. 4, the network manager 105 caninclude multiple transceivers, for example in situations in which thenetwork manager 105 communicates using different communicationsstandards or protocols, or using different networks or communicationslinks, with the AP(s) 103, the application(s) 107, and/or the servers111, 113. For instance, a dedicated communication interface 411 (e.g., adedicated port) can be included for communication with the AP(s) 103 ofthe mesh network. As shown in FIG. 4, the transceiver 401 is a wiredtransceiver connected to network 109; in other embodiments, the networkmanager 105 includes one or more wireless transceivers connected toantennas and configured for wireless communication.

The various components of the network manager 105 are communicativelyconnected to each other (e.g., via a bus or other communication lines),and are electrically connected to a power source to receive operatingpower.

The network manager 105 provides oversight of the mesh network, and cancontrol operation of the network. For example, the network manager 105joins nodes to the network, sets network timing and/or sets a networkcommunication schedule, and performs other network administration basedon program instructions stored in memory 405 and executed on processor403. In addition, as part of joining nodes and APs to the network, thenetwork manager 105 can receive identification information from nodes101 and AP(s) 103 and can authenticate the nodes and AP(s) based on theidentification information. In some examples, the authentication isperformed in concert with the authentication server 111 by transmittingthe identification information to the authentication server 111 andobtaining an authentication confirmation or an authentication denialfrom the server 111. In other examples, the authentication is performedlocally by the network manager 105 based on the identificationinformation.

Additionally, the network manager 105 performs network licenseverification, management, and enforcement. For this purpose, the licensemanager 407 may be executed on processor 403 or on a dedicatedprocessor. The license manager 407 obtains license information from oneor more node(s) 101 and/or AP(s) 103 of the network it is associatedwith, such as license information from a node-based license 207 or anAP-based license 309. The license manager 407 then verifies orauthenticates the license information to determine its accurateness andauthenticity, and determines the license terms associated with theauthenticated license information. The license manager 407 mayauthenticate the license information and determine license terms throughlocal processing alone; alternatively, the license manager maycommunicate with license server 113 to perform these operations. In oneexample, the license manager 407 transmits the license information tothe license server 113 and obtains in response a license confirmationidentifying the license terms (or providing a license denial) from theserver 113. The license manager 407 then controls operation of thenetwork manager 105 to ensure that the network license terms arerespected and enforced by the network manager 105.

The network manager 105 further functions as an operational gateway orinterface between the mesh network and the outside—and in particular asan interface for application(s) 107 interfacing with the mesh networkAP(s) and/or nodes. For this purpose, the application interface 409 maybe executed on processor 403. The application interface 409 can receivedata and information from the network (e.g., from AP(s) 103, and/or fromnodes 101 via the AP(s)), format or process the data to put it in aformat useable by the application(s) 107, and provide the raw orprocessed data to the application(s) 107. The application interface 409can further receive data, information, or control information from theapplication(s) 107, format and process the data, information, orcontrols to put them in a format useable by the AP(s) 103 and nodes 101,and provide the processed data, information, or controls to the AP(s)103 and nodes 101.

The license terms enforced by the license manager can include a varietyof limits on the operation of the mesh-network and on the informationcommunicated to and from the mesh network. In some examples, the licenseterms and conditions authorize or limit the number of wireless devices(nodes and APs) that can join the network, and/or authorize or limit thefeatures that are authorized for use by these joined devices and thenetwork managers. Specifically, the license terms will generally limitthe features and services provided by the application manager 105 suchthat only a subset of the features and services that the applicationmanager 105 is capable of providing are in fact provided subject to thelicense terms (e.g., except when a full license providing access to allfeatures and services is verified and implemented by the license manger407).

In general, the license terms will authorize any number of wirelessdevices to join the network (subject to any operational limits, such asa maximum number of devices that can be used in a network because oflimits in the network's addressing convention). The license terms mayinstead limit the number of wireless devices (e.g., from nodes 101 andAP(s) 103) from which data can be obtained and relayed to externalapplications 107 via the network manager 105, and/or limit the number ofwireless devices to which data and controls can be sent (e.g., data andcontrols received by the network manager 105 from application(s) 107).Additionally or alternatively, the license terms may limit the use ofany number of features implemented or controlled by the network manager105.

In this respect, the network manager 105 operatively sits between thewireless sensor network and the customer application 107. In someembodiments the manager 105 and the customer application 107 both run onthe same processor. The application 107 is generally concerned withcollecting “upstream” data from the sensors attached to nodes 101 andAPs 103, and the manager 105 publishes this data to the application 107through notifications which wrap up the data in messages the applicationcan consume. Ultimately, the manager 105 is in control of publishing thenotifications and can throttle them if a maximum number of nodes, amaximum data rate, or another feature allowed according to the licenseterms is exceeded. In this regard, while the data rate is subject to thephysical limits of how many packets can be sent through the network perunit time, the network manager 105 may impose a lower license-basedlogical limit below the physical limit on the information communicatedto or from the application 107. The network manager 105 can furtherimpose a lower license-based logical limit below the physical limit onthe information communicated between network nodes 101 and APs 103, forexample by slowing network timing, providing fewer wireless links in thenetwork communication schedule (e.g., one that limits nodes' and APs'transmit and receive opportunities), or the like.

The application 107 can also send messages to the nodes 101 or APs 103“downstream” over the wireless network. Again, these messages passthrough the network manager 105 and can thus be limited by the networkmanager 105. For example, the rate of messages can be limited, or thedestinations of the messages can be limited (e.g., such that messagescan only be sent to a limited number of nodes or APs).

In some examples, nodes in the network may also talk to each otherwithout intervention by the network manager 105, for example such that aflow sensor in one node can talk to and control a valve actuator inanother node via a control application. In such situations, the networkmanager 105 can still be responsible for setting up the securitysessions and installing the bandwidth required for these “peer-to-peer”applications or interactions between nodes or APs. In such cases, thenetwork manager 105 can selectively assign session keys to eitherendpoint of the peer-to-peer route and/or selectively assign links inthe mesh (potentially spanning several hops) between the two endpointssubject to license terms determined by the license manager 407. As such,the network manager 105 under the control of the license manager 407 maynot assign a session key, may not assign appropriate links, and/or maylimit communication opportunities between the nodes or APs (e.g., bychanging the network connectivity map or the network timing schedule) iflicense terms do not authorize the particular peer-to-peer applicationbetween the nodes. Conversely, the network manager 105 under the controlof the license manager 407 may assign the appropriate session keys,links, and communication opportunities if the license terms authorizethe peer-to-peer application.

Hence, as detailed above, because the network manager 105 sits in themiddle of all of this functionality, the network manager 105 may bedesigned to include the license manager 407 that serves as a licenseauthentication and verification system to authorize certain capabilitiesas provided for by a license authorization certificate. Examples of somecapabilities that may be authorized subject to license terms andconditions in response to a valid license include, but are not limitedto:

(a) Imposing a license-based maximum number (e.g., an integer ‘n’) ofnodes from which data notifications are published. In such situations,the network manager 105 may allow more than the maximum number of nodesor APs to join the network, but may only allow data (e.g., sensor data)from the maximum number of nodes to be provided to the application(s)107. The network manager 105 may randomly select ‘n’ nodes from whichnotification are published from among all of the nodes in the network;may select the first ‘n’ nodes to have been joined to the network (i.e.,the ‘n’ nodes having joined the network the longest time ago); mayselect the last ‘n’ nodes to have been joined to the network (i.e., the‘n’ nodes having most recently joined the network); may select the first‘n’ nodes to provide data for publication to the network manager 105; orthe like. The license-based maximum number may also limit the number ofnodes and APs to which notifications and other traffic (e.g., controls)can be provided downstream from applications 107.

(b) Imposing a maximum rate at which notifications can be published fromthe network (e.g., measured in packets per second or bytes per second)to applications 107. Alternatively, a maximum total number of packets ornumber of bytes that can be published from the network to theapplications 107 can be imposed (e.g., such that the license blocksfurther network use once the maximum is reached).

(c) Imposing a maximum number of peer-to-peer sessions between nodesand/or APs, or imposing a maximum number of nodes or APs that arecapable or allowed to perform peer-to-peer communications between nodesor APs.

(d) Imposing a maximum rate at which notifications or other traffic(e.g., controls) can be provided downstream from applications 107 to thenetwork devices (nodes and APs), for example measured in packets persecond or bytes per second. Alternatively, a maximum total number ofnotifications, packets, or number of bytes that can be provided to thenetwork devices can be imposed (e.g., such that the license blocksfurther communications from the applications 107 to the network devicesonce the maximum is reached).

(e) imposing a maximum hop-depth of the network, i.e. limiting how far(as measured in hops) the most distant devices can be from the networkmanager 105 or from one or more APs 103.

(f) Limiting the ability of the network or of network devices tosynchronize to UTC time, for example to limit the network or networkdevices from using global position system (GPS) capabilities or othercapabilities based on UTC time.

(g) Enabling or disabling the rapid detection of lost nodes and APs.

(h) Enabling or disabling location-based network services or othernon-standard augmentations,

(i) Limiting the number or type of applications 107 to which networkdata is provided, or from which notifications can be forwarded tonetwork devices,

The license terms may impose limits on zero, one, or multiple of theabove capabilities (e.g., capabilities (a)-(i)), and the network manager105 may authorize (or limit) zero, one, or multiple of the capabilitiessubject to the license terms determined by the license manager 407.

Note that in some embodiments, the nodes 101 and APs 103 may controlpeer-to-peer sessions for themselves without ever talking to the networkmanager 105. In such cases, the license manager 407 of the networkmanager 105 can still ensure that the license terms and conditionsauthorize the use of peer-to-peer sessions and, upon determining thatpeer-to-peer sessions are authorized under the license, communicateapproval of the peer-to-peer features to individual nodes 101 and APs103 or broadcast to the network as a whole. The nodes 101 and. APs 103may be configured to only be able to use the peer-to-peer features afterreceiving approval from the network manager 105.

FIG. 5 shows a high-level flow diagram showing steps of a method 500 formonitoring and enforcement of authorization and licensing terms andconditions in a wireless network, such as in the wireless mesh networkof the network system 100 of FIG. 1.

Method 500 begins with an AP 103 being connected to a network manager105. The AP 103 begins a registration process with respect to thenetwork manager 105, and provides identification information to thenetwork manager 105 as part of the registration process. The AP 103 mayalso provide license information to the network manager as part of theregistration process, notably in cases in which the AP 103 includes anAP-based license 309. The network manager 105 receives theidentification and license information in step 501, and proceeds toperform the validation process in step 503.

As part of the validation of step 503, the network manager 105 maydetermine whether the AP 103 is a valid AP based on the identificationinformation. The validation may be performed locally by the networkmanager 105 (e.g., using processor 403) by providing the identificationinformation received from the AP 103 to an AP validation program storedin memory 405 and executed by processor 403. Alternatively, thevalidation may be performed by transmitting the identificationinformation received from the AP 103 to the authentication server 111and, in response to the transmission, receiving a validation responsefrom the authentication server 111. If the validation response indicatesthat the identification information is valid, the validation issuccessful, and the network manager 105 establishes a new mesh networkfor the AP 103 and sends a validation confirmation to the AP 103 in step505. If the validation response indicates that the identificationinformation is invalid, the validation is unsuccessful and the networkmanager 105 sends a validation failure message to the AP 103.

In cases in which license information is received from the AP 103 instep 501, the validation of step 503 can additionally include a licensevalidation procedure. The license validation can be performed locally bythe license manager 407 of the network manager 105 based on the licenseinformation received from the AP 103. Alternatively, the validation maybe performed by having the license manager 407 transmit the licenseinformation received from the AP 103 to the license server 113 and, inresponse to the transmission, receiving a license validation responsefrom the license server 113. The license validation response generallyidentities the license terms associated with the license informationreceived from the AP 103. The license manager 407 stores the receivedlicense validation response for use in enforcing the license terms onthe network.

In response to receiving the validation confirmation from the networkmanager in step 505, the AP 103 may begin transmitting networkadvertisements. The validation confirmation generally includes a uniqueidentifier for the new mesh network that was established in the networkmanager 105 for the AP 103, as well as network timing information. TheAP 103 transmits network advertisements indicative of the networkidentifier and the network timing information received from the manager105.

When a node 101 is first powered up, the node searches for a network tojoin by listening for network advertisements being transmitted in itsvicinity. The network advertisements can be transmitted by APs 103(e.g., in the case of the advertisement of step 505), or by other nodes101 having been joined to the network (e.g., following completion ofstep 509). In response to receiving a network advertisement, the node101 can automatically generate a network join message and transmit thejoin message to the AP 103 or node 101 from which the networkadvertisement was received. The join message is relayed through the meshnetwork to the network manager 105 (e.g., potentially along a multi-hoproute), where a security handshake is performed to add the node 101 tothe mesh network.

In particular, in the network manager 105, the network join messagetransmitted by the joining node 101 is received in step 507. The networkmanager 105 may receive multiple different nodes' join messages in step507. Each join message includes a unique identifier for the node 101having generated the message, as well as identification of each node 101or AP 103 from which a network advertisement was received by the node101 having generated the join message. Additionally, the join messagesmay also include license information, notably in cases of join messagesgenerated by nodes 101 that include a node-based license 207.

In response to receiving one or more join messages, the network manager105 performs a security handshake to add or join the nodes 101 to themesh network in step 509. The validation process of step 509 can besimilar to the validation process of step 503. In particular, thenetwork manager 105 may determine whether the nodes 101 are valid nodesbased on the identification information provided by each node. Thevalidation may be performed locally by the network manager 105 (e.g.,using processor 403) using a node validation program stored in memory405. Alternatively, the validation may be performed by transmitting theidentification information received from the nodes 101 to theauthentication server 111 and, in response to the transmission,receiving a validation response from the authentication server 111. Ifthe validation response indicates that the identification information isvalid, the validation is successful, and the network manager 105 joinsthe node to the network in step 509. If the validation responseindicates that the identification information is invalid, the validationis unsuccessful and the network manager 105 does not join thecorresponding node 101 to the network.

Once nodes 101 or APs 103 are joined to the network, a network joinconfirmation message is sent by the network manager 105 to the node orAP. The join confirmation message includes an identifier for the meshnetwork that the node 101 or AP 103 is joined to, a identifier to beused by the node 101 or AP 103 to identify itself during communicationson the network, and network timing information indicating when the node101 or AP 103 can communicate (e.g., send or receive packets) on thenetwork. In response to receiving the join confirmation, the node 101 orAP 103 begins operation on the network. In some examples, the node 101notifies the attached sensor and starts to accept sensor data. The node101 then generates packets with the sensor data as payload to allow themto be routed through the wireless sensor network. The network joinconfirmation may include a network identifier for the joined node or APas well as network timing information (e.g., including a networkcommunication schedule).

In addition, in step 511, the license manager 407 of the network manager105 performs license validation. The license validation can be performedlocally by the license manager 407 of the network manager 105.Alternatively, the validation may be performed by having the licensemanager 407 transmit the license information received from the AP 103and/or nodes 101 to the license server 113 and, in response to thetransmission, receiving one or more license validation responses fromthe license server 113. The license validation responses identify thelicense terms associated with the license information received from thenodes 101 and APs 103 jointed to the wireless mesh network, and thelicense manager 407 may store the received license validation responsesfor use in enforcing the license terms on the network.

Step 511 may specifically include a step for establishing the networklicense terms based on one or more sets of license information receivedfrom one or more AP(s) 103 or nodes 101. Specifically, the licensemanager 407 may determine license terms for the network as a whole basedon any licenses of individual devices (nodes and APs) of the network. Ingeneral, the licenses of individual devices may be cumulative, such thatthe license terms determined in step 511 are determined based on the sum(or conjunction) of the license terms of each network device havingjoined the network. In other examples, however, the license terms forthe network as a whole may be determined based on the broadest licenseterm of any component of the network. In further examples, license termsmay be individualized for different network devices, such that forexample nodes of the network having licenses for peer-to-peercommunication may be validated for such communications while other nodesof the network that do not have such licenses for peer-to-peercommunication may not be validated for such communications.

Once the license terms are determined, the network manager 105 and thelicense manager 407 ensure that services are provided subject to thelicense terms in step 513. As noted above, the network manager 105 mayfor example limit (subject to the license terms) which nodes' 101 andAPs' 103 communications or data are relayed to application(s) 107 and/orwhich nodes 101 and APs 103 can be controlled or communicated to by theapplication(s) 107. The network manager 105 may further limit the amountor rate of data communicated to/from the nodes 101, APs 103, andapplication(s) 107. The network manager 105 may further impose otherlimits on network operation and network services in accordance with theestablished license terms.

While the description of steps 501-511 above has focused on one AP 103and one node 101 joining the network, the various steps can be repeatedas more nodes 101 and APs 103 detect and join the network. As such, thenetwork manager 105 may manage a network having multiple nodes 101,multiple APs 103, and multiple node-based or AP-based licenses. Further,the license terms may be re-established following the joining of eachnew node 101 or AP 103 to the network.

During wireless mesh network operation, the network manager 105continuously monitors the network to join new nodes 101 and APs 103 tothe network. The network manager 105 also monitors the network for nodes101 and APs 103 having left the network. For example, the networkmanager 105 may determine that a node 101 or AP 103 has left the networkwhen no communication is received from the node 101 or AP 103 during aspecified time period (e.g., 10 seconds, 1 minute, or the like). Thenetwork manager 105 may also determine that a node 101 or AP 103 hasleft the network in response to determining that multiple sequentialattempts to communicate with the node 101 or AP 103 have failed.

The license manager 407 also continuously monitors the network todetermine whether the license terms should be revised, in step 515. Forexample, in response to determining that a new node or AP has joined thenetwork, the license manager 407 may review license terms in step 511 todetermine whether the license terms should be expanded, whether thenetwork size has exceeded the license terms, or the like. Further, inresponse to determining that a node or AP has left the network, thelicense manager 407 may review license terms in step 511 to determinewhether the license terms should be restricted, notably in cases inwhich the current license terms are based at least in part on thelicense information received from the node 101 or AP 103 having left thenetwork. In such situations, the license manager 407 revises the licenseterms to exclude the license information received from the node 101 orAP 103 having left the network, and provides services subject to therevised license terms in step 513.

As noted above, individual nodes 101 or APs 103 can store node-based orAP-based licenses 207, 309. In general, in any embodiment of system 100,only node-based licenses or AP-based licenses are used (e.g., acombination of node-based and AP-based licenses are generally not usedin a same embodiment). However, in some examples, combinations ofnode-based and AP-based licenses 207, 209 can he used in a sameembodiment.

The node-based and AP-based licenses 207, 309 are embedded in respectivenetwork devices. The license information is then passed from therespective network device to the network manager 105 as though it isregular network data. For example, the license information can beprovided as a payload of a packet transmitted from a node 101 or AP 103to the network manager 105. The license information can also be providedwithin the header of a packet (e.g., a join message packet) transmittedfrom a node 101 or AP 103 to the network manager 105.

The licenses 207, 309 are referenced as hardware-based licenses becausethey are directly and permanently associated with the hardware devicesthey are held in—notably with the node 101 or AP 103 in which they areembedded. As such, the license information that each license 207, 309stores is generally unique to the device (e.g., a node 101 or AP 103)holding the license 207, 309, and can only be used in networks includingthe device 101, 103 associated with the license. In some examples, thelicenses 207, 309 are encoded in dedicated chips or circuits, such as aread-only memory or an application-specific integrated circuit that isin the device 101 or 103. In other examples, the licenses 207, 309 areencoded and stored in a secure part of memory 205 or 307 of the device101 or 103.

The license may be a string of characters that is a cryptographiccombination of the licensed capabilities and a unique identifier of thedevice. For example, the license string can include 4 bytes encoding thelicensed capabilities and 8 bytes encoding the unique IEEE addressassigned to the hardware element that the license is embedded in. Theoutput license is then a cryptographic combination resulting in 13bytes. While in some embodiments the user can type in these 13 bytes onthe manager, in hexadecimal format, to activate the license, in generalthe 13 bytes are embedded in the network device (e.g., a node or AP) andare automatically communicated by the network device to the networkmanager to activate the license.

The license information stored in individual nodes 101 or APs 103 can begenerated using shared private key encryption. The term “shared” hereindicates that the program that generates the license contains the samesecret key as do all the network manager devices 105 or license servers113 that the manufacturer ships. The program is used to generate thelicense information embedded into nodes 101 or APs 103. For example, theprogram can use the IEEE address of the node or AP as one input, or canuse another fixed identifier for the node or AP.

To verify the validity of the license information received from a node101 or AP 103, the network manager 105 or license server 113 decodes thereceived license information using the “shared” private key (i.e., thesame key as was used to generate the license information). The networkmanager 105 or license server 113 then compares the decoded licenseinformation to the unique identifier for the node or AP received in thejoin message. If the decoded license information matches the uniqueidentifier for the node or AP, the license is determined to be valid.The network manager 105 or license server 113 determine the licensecapabilities based on the decoded license information (e.g., from the 4bytes encoding the licensed capabilities in the example above). If thedecoded license information does not match the unique identifier of thenode or AP, the license is deemed invalid.

Alternatively, a third-party can be used to certify licenses. In such anexample, a network device with an embedded license would be programmedwith license information in the factory. The license information wouldbe registered with a reputable certifier accessible through theinternet, such as a certifier running the license server 113. When anetwork manager 105 receives license information from a hardware devicein such an embodiment, the network manager queries the certifier'slicense server 113 to determine the validity of the license.

As noted above, the embedded hardware license can be stored in APs of anetwork. Every network has at least one AP 103, and the AP 103 generallycommunicates with the network manager 103 over a wired interface. Insome embodiments, the AP and the network manager are software programsthat both run on a common platform, such as a microprocessor or amicrocontroller with one or more CPU cores. Whether the AP 103 andnetwork manager 105 are implemented in a same device or in differentdevices, instead of the user typing the license in on the networkmanager, the AP sends the license information string, e.g. of 13 bytes,to the network manager. The network manager can then performcryptographic decryption to authenticate the license. If authenticated,the manager implements the capabilities described in the license.

However, the hardware license can also be embedded in a network nodedevice 101. After the node 101 is joins the network wirelessly, the node101 can send the license information over the wireless sensor network tothe network manager 105 as its destination. In such an example, the node101 joins the network and then sends the license information string tothe network manager through the multi-hop network. The network managercan then perform cryptographic decryption to authenticate the license.

In some embodiments the license information is stored in a nonvolatilememory, such as a one-time programmable memory or a flash memory, of thenode 101 or AP 103 which is written at the factory and not accessible tothe end-user.

The authorizations provided by licenses of multiple network devicesjoined to a same network may be cumulative. For example, a customer maybuy a first AP 103 which enables data notifications for one hundrednodes. As the network grows, the customer may buy another AP 103 with alicense for one hundred nodes and join the other AP to the same network.Now, the network can support data notifications for two hundred nodes.However, if the network manager 105 detects that one of the APs 103 hasleft the network, the notification support for the network drops back toone hundred nodes. This is done to ensure that the license-holdingdevices (in this case, the APs 103) are not cycled through multiplenetworks to imbue each network with the license capabilities of the APs.Current and future network managers 105 both have mechanisms fordetecting when devices are no longer in the network.

In some embodiments, because of uncertainties in joining order of thenodes 101 and APs 103 to a network, it can be desirable not to precludeother devices from joining the network. In such embodiments, all networkdevices can join the network. However, the network manager 105 mayrestrict the applications' 107 access to data notifications from thenetwork to only receive notifications from the number of nodes for whicha license is held. This approach enables the network to continue tofunction efficiently even if the license for receiving notificationsfrom a central node of the network (e.g., a parent node through whichpackets to/from remote nodes are routed) is revoked. Specifically, sinceall nodes remain active even if notifications cannot be received fromall nodes, network congestion is minimized even when a license-carryingdevice is removed from the network. The particular process forrestricting license terms when a license-carrying device leaves thenetwork can be a design choice; other actions may be taken when alicense drops off the network instead.

An example implementation of a network using the hardware embeddedlicense system detailed above will now be presented. In the example, acustomer wants a 32-node network with 10 second data publishing fromeach node. As a result, the customer purchases an AP with a 32-nodelicense and the lowest packet/second license which might be 10packet/second of egress. The AP joins the network over the wiredinterface with the network manager, and starts to advertise to enablenodes to join the network. The AP sends the license to the managerimmediately after joining. One-by-one, 32 nodes join the network; eachnode independently is checked for security credentials by the networkmanager to be allowed into the network (checking for node credentialsmay be a distinct authentication process from hardware licenseauthorization and authentication). The network manager publishes datafrom all 32 nodes in the network to the customer's host application.

At some time, a 33^(rd) node which has the proper security credentialstries to join the network. The 33^(rd) node is allowed to join thenetwork, to generate data packets, and to forward descendant datapackets. However, the network manager does not publish data from the33^(rd) node to the customer's host application. In turn, the customerpurchases an additional AP with another 32-node license. Once the secondAP joins the network, either over a wired or wireless interface, the APsends its embedded license string to the network manager that authorizesanother 32 nodes for the network. The manager authenticates the license;if it passes authentication, all subsequent data from the 33^(rd) nodeis published to the application since the total network capacity underlicense is now of 64 nodes.

If one of the APs is removed from the network, the network managerreverts to authorizing only 32 nodes in the network. Again, the networkmanager will not publish data from the 33^(rd) node to the customer'shost application.

While in this example the APs store the license information, in otherexamples the license information can be stored in other hardware formingpart of the network (e.g., in a node that joins the network, such as afunctional node of the network or a dummy node or dongle that serves thelimited purpose of carrying the license information). In general, thelicense information is coded in a permanent non-editable manner in theAP or node, for example by being implemented in hardware or in aread-only memory that is coded during production in a factory. In otherexamples, however, the license information can be stored in an editablememory, such as a re-writable electrically erasable programmableread-only memory (EEPROM). Other means of storing the licenseinformation can also be used.

The hardware-based licensing methods and systems for wireless networkdescribed herein advantageously embed the license in a part of thenetwork other than (and outside of) the network manager; use ahardware-based license instead of a software-based license; transmit thelicense over a wireless network (in the case that the nodes are thedevices with the embedded license); are able to “stack” features andlimits by adding more licensed devices to benefit from the cumulativelicenses of the devices; respond to the addition and/or removal of alicense added to a wireless network in-situ; allow network capabilitiesto be field upgraded with a minimal customer effort by simply adding anadditional network device having an appropriate embedded license;preserve network connectivity while limiting data notifications when alicense exceeded; separate the function of security credentials from anapplication-layer-limiting license; and have a third-party verificationscheme for a license on a device that joins the network.

Unless otherwise stated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions,magnitudes, sizes, and other specifications that are set forth in thisspecification, including in the claims that follow, are approximate, notexact. They are intended to have a reasonable range that is consistentwith the functions to which they relate and with what is customary inthe art to which they pertain.

The scope of protection is limited solely by the claims that now follow.That scope is intended and should be interpreted to be as broad as isconsistent with the ordinary meaning of the language that is used in theclaims when interpreted in light of this specification and theprosecution history that follows and to encompass all structural andfunctional equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intendedto embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirement ofSections 101, 102, or 103 of the Patent Act, nor should they beinterpreted in such a way. Any unintended embracement of such subjectmatter is hereby disclaimed.

Except as stated immediately above, nothing that has been stated orillustrated is intended or should be interpreted to cause a dedicationof any component, step, feature, object, benefit, advantage, orequivalent to the public, regardless of whether it is or is not recitedin the claims.

It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein havethe ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions withrespect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and studyexcept where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be usedsolely to distinguish one entity or action from another withoutnecessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or orderbetween such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,”or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusiveinclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus thatcomprises a list of elements does not include only those elements butmay include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to suchprocess, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “a” or“an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence ofadditional identical elements in the process, method, article, orapparatus that comprises the element.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not he used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

While the foregoing has described what are considered to be the bestmode and/or other examples, it is understood that various modificationsmay be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein may beimplemented in various forms and examples, and that the teachings may beapplied in numerous applications, only some of which have been describedherein. It is intended by the following claims to claim any and allapplications, modifications and variations that fall within the truescope of the present teachings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A network manager device for enabling anddisabling wireless communication services provided over a wirelessnetwork based on license information embedded in other devices connectedto the wireless network, the network manager device comprising: acommunication interface configured for communication with a plurality ofnetwork node devices forming at least a portion of the wireless network;one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory storage mediumcomprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one ormore processors, cause the network manager device to perform functionsto manage operations of the wireless network that comprise: receiving,from a first network node device of the plurality of network nodedevices, license information stored by the first network node device,and selectively disabling, in response to receiving the licenseinformation from the first network node device, communication servicesprovided between two or more of the plurality of network node devicesover the wireless network based on the received license information. 2.The network manager device of claim 1, wherein the network managerdevice provides a gateway for relaying communications between a userapplication external to the wireless network and the plurality ofnetwork node devices forming at least the portion of the wirelessnetwork, and wherein the network manager device selectively disablescommunications relayed between the user application and the two or moreof the plurality of network node devices based on the received licenseinformation.
 3. The network manager device of claim 2, wherein thefunctions to manage operations of the wireless network further comprise:receiving, from the first network node device, identifying informationfor the first network node device, and validating the received licenseinformation using the identifying information for the first network nodedevice and an encryption key.
 4. The network manager device of claim 1,wherein selectively disabling communication services provided betweentwo or more of the plurality of network node devices over the wirelessnetwork comprises: disabling publishing of notifications between the twoor more of the plurality of network node devices and applicationsexternal to the wireless network when a total number of network nodedevices forming the wireless network exceeds a maximum number in thereceived license information.
 5. The network manager device of claim 1,wherein, in response to the network manager device determining that thefirst network node device has left the wireless network, the networkmanager device establishes revised license terms based on licenseinformation stored by network node devices that remain joined to thewireless network, and the network manager device selectively disablescommunication services provided between the two or more of the pluralityof network node devices subject to the revised license terms.
 6. Thenetwork manager device of claim 1, wherein the received licenseinformation is permanently stored in first network node device, and thefunctions to manage operations of the wireless network further compriseselectively disabling the communication services provided between thetwo or more of the plurality of network node devices based on a numberof network node devices designated by the license information to bemanaged by the network manager device.
 7. The network manager device ofclaim 1, wherein the functions to manage operations of the wirelessnetwork further comprise: receiving, from each respective network nodedevice of the plurality of network node devices, license informationstored by the respective network node device, to establish license termsbased on the license information received from each of the plurality ofnetwork node devices, and selectively disabling communication servicesprovided between the two or more of the plurality of network nodedevices based on the established license terms.
 8. The network managerdevice of claim 1, wherein selectively disabling communication servicesprovided between the two or more of the plurality of network nodedevices comprises disabling communication services when a hop-depth ofthe wireless network exceeds a maximum hop-depth designated by thereceived license information.
 9. The network manager device of claim 1,wherein the functions to manage operations of the wireless networkfurther comprise: authenticating the license information received fromthe first network node device, and establishing license terms based onthe license information received from the first network node deviceusing only processing local to the network manager device.
 10. Thenetwork manager device of claim 1, wherein selectively disablingcommunication services provided between the two or more of the pluralityof network node devices comprises disabling publishing of notificationsbetween network node devices and applications external to the wirelessnetwork when a rate at which the notifications are received exceeds amaximum rate designated by the received license information.
 11. Thenetwork manager device of claim 1, wherein selectively disablingcommunication services provided between the two or more of the pluralityof network node devices comprises disabling peer-to-peer sessionsestablished between network node devices of the wireless network when anumber of peer-to-peer sessions exceeds a maximum number designated bythe received license information.
 12. The network manager device ofclaim 1, wherein selectively disabling communication services providedbetween the two or more of the plurality of network node devicescomprises disabling publishing of notifications between network nodedevices or applications external to the wireless network when a numberor amount of notifications exceeds a maximum total designated by thereceived license information.
 13. The network manager device of claim 1,wherein selectively disabling communication services provided betweenthe two or more of the plurality of network node devices comprisesdisabling location-based network services or disabling synchronizationto a universal time reference in accordance with license termsdesignated by the received license information.
 14. A method forenabling or disabling wireless communication services provided over awireless network based on license information embedded in other devicesconnected to the wireless network, the method comprising: facilitating,by a network manager device, communications between a plurality ofnetwork node devices in the wireless network; receiving, at the networkmanager device from a first network node device of the plurality ofnetwork node devices, license information embedded in the first networknode device; and selectively disabling, by the network manager device inresponse to receiving the license information from the first networknode device, communication services provided between two or more of theplurality of network node devices over the wireless network based on thereceived license information.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: facilitating, by the network manager device, communicationsbetween the plurality of network node devices in the wireless networkand a user application external to the wireless network, wherein thefacilitating of communications between the plurality of network nodedevices in the wireless network and the user application comprises atleast one of facilitating communications from the two or more of theplurality of network node devices to the user application andfacilitating communications from the user application to the two or moreof the plurality of network node devices, and wherein the selectivelydisabling of communication services provided between the two or more ofthe plurality of network node devices comprises selectively disabling,by the network manager device, of communications relayed between the twoor more of the plurality of network node devices and the userapplication based on the received license information.
 16. The method ofclaim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the network manager devicefrom the first network node device, identifying information for thefirst network node device; and validating the received licenseinformation using the identifying information for the first network nodedevice and an encryption key.
 17. The method of claim 14, wherein theselective disabling of communication services provided between the twoor more of the plurality of network node devices comprises disablingpeer-to-peer sessions established between network node devices of thewireless network when a number of peer-to-peer sessions exceeds amaximum number designated by the received license information.
 18. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising: determining, by the networkmanager device, that the first network node device having licenseinformation embedded therein has left the wireless network; in responseto the determining, establishing in the network manager device revisedlicense terms based on license information embedded within network nodedevices that remain joined to the wireless network; and selectivelydisabling, by the network manager device, communication servicesprovided between the two or more of the plurality of network nodedevices, subject to the revised license terms.
 19. A method for managingnetwork communication services in a wireless network comprising aplurality of network node devices using license information embedded ina device, comprising: receiving, by a network manager device configuredfor communication with the plurality of network node devices, from afirst network node device in communication with the plurality of networknode devices of the network, a network joining message including licenseinformation embedded in the first network node device; relaying, via thenetwork manager device in response to receiving the network joiningmessage, communications between the first network node device and a userapplication external to the network; and selectively disabling, by thenetwork manager device, the relaying of communications between the firstnetwork node device and a user application external to the network basedon a number of network node devices designated by the received licenseinformation as managed by the network manager device.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein selectively disabling of the relaying ofcommunications comprises disabling publishing of notifications betweenthe first network node device and the user application when a rate atwhich the notifications are received exceeds a maximum rate designatedby the license information.
 21. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising: receiving, by the network manager device from the firstnetwork node device, identifying information for the first network nodedevice; and validating the received license information using theidentifying information for the first network node device, and anencryption key.
 22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:determining, by the network manager device, that the first network nodedevice having the license information embedded therein has left thenetwork; in response to the determining, establishing revised licenseterms determined based on license information embedded within networknode devices that remain joined to the network; and providing services,by the network manager device to the network, subject to the revisedlicense terms.